Despite how its title might first be interpreted, your article ‘Gap Year Takers ‘Less Likely to Finish University’, does well to highlight the range of findings from studies on the benefits of taking a gap year. Year Out Group encourages gap year enquirers to consider the pros and cons of deferring university or entering full-time employment and to view the period as time out with a purpose. [ Read more... ]

Volunteers at our Elephant Care and Research project in South Africa are assisting in carrying out research to understand more about elephants’ behaviour and identify precursors to elephants becoming worried and how they react when they are nervous. The results of this research can be used to improve the welfare of elephants in captivity. [ Read more... ]

Skip the North and cross the border – it might be the best thing you have ever done. Latin America is a colourful continent, fiery and chaotic, beautiful and diverse. It’s a place of contrast consisting of stunning nature, wildlife and cities in which you find old colonial architecture, lively music and people who seem to have an unstoppable love of life. However, it’s also an area with immense poverty that has suffered from more dictators and military coups than most. Lucky enough, Latin America is today far more peaceful and no traveller should overlook it – especially not the bit called Central America. [ Read more... ]

Of the 13 islands that make up the Galapagos archipelago just three are populated. The local people want to learn English so they can work with the tourists so Outreach International’s volunteers provide English Lessons in the local schools. [ Read more... ]